Coupling device for trays for annealing-furnaces



(No Model.)

J. M. OHATFIELD.

COUPLING DEVICE FOR TRAYS FOR ANNEALING FURNACES.

No. 492,190. Patented Pebjzl, 1893.

UNTTEE STnTEs PATENT CEETEE.

JAMES M. CHATFIELD, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT.

COUPLING DEVICE FOR TRAYS FOR ANNEALING-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,190, dated February21, 1893.

Application filed August 1, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES M. CHATFIELD, of Thomaston, in the county ofLitchfield and State of Connecticut, have inventeda new ImprovementinCoupling Devices for the Trays of Annealing-Furnaces; and I do herebydeclare the following, when taken in connection with accompanyingdrawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be afull,clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawingsconstitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a perspective View of a tray provided at each end with an eyeor bridle constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, a planview showing three trays, two of which are represented as in adouble-ended furnace, the front and rear walls of which are indicated,the other tray being represented as if upon the rear platform of thefurnace in position to be coupled with the rear tray therein, before thesame is drawn inward after the forward tray has been detached from it,and drawn forward out of the furnace. Fig. 8, a view in side elevation,showing how the two trays are connected by the trip-coupler, thelever-hook of which is shown in its tripped position by broken lines.Fig. 4, a detached perspective view of the plate of the coupler. Fig. 5,a similar view of the leverhook thereof. Fig. 6, a view in sideelevation, of a modified form of my trip-coupler. Fig. 7, a detachedperspective view of a poker having its handle-end constructed with aneye furnished with a grooved cross-piece.

My invention relates to an improvement in instrumentalities or couplingdevices for handling the trays of annealing furnaces, the object beingto provide simple and convenient means for handling such trays, incharging and discharging such furnaces, and elsewhere.

WVith these ends in view, my invention consists in a tray or otherportable annealingfurnace instrumentality, having at one end an eye,constructed with a vertically grooved cross-piece.

My invention further consists in the tripcoupler having a trip-member,and a chain, and in certain other details of construction Serial No.441,888. (No model.)

as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

The tray A, shown by Fig. 1 of the drawings, is, in itself, of ordinaryconstruction. It is provided at each end with a projecting eye B, formedfrom a heavy bar, bent into the form of a loop, and having its divergingends securely bolted to the ends of the tray. This eye is often called abridle. Each of these eyes is provided with a cross-piece C, formedintegrally with, or attached to it, extending above its upper face,located just outside of the edge of the tray, and reinforced againstoutward strain, as at 0. Each eye is provided with a central verticalgroove, C located in line with the longitudinal center of the eye.

The main application of eyes having vertically grooved cross pieces, asdescribed,will be to the trays of furnaces, but I do notlimit myself tosuch use of that feature of my invention, as it may be applied as shownby Fig. 7 of the drawings, to the poker D, the bandle end of which isbent to form an eye D, which is furnished upon its upper face, with acentral, vertically grooved cross-piece, D the groove whereof isin linewith the center of the eye. poker of this construction will be mentionedlater on. 7

With trays and pokers such as described, I employ a trip-coupler, or inother words, a coupler adapted to be tripped and disengaged from the eyeof the tray or poker, as the case may be, quickly, and from a distantpoint.

Preferably my improved trip-coupler will take the form shown by Figs. 3,4 and 5 of the drawings, in which it is represented as comprising aplate E, a hook-lever F, and a chain E The said plate E, which is madewide at-its inner or bearing end, as at e, to prevent it from rocking,is constructed with a longitudinal slot 6', extending well into itsbearing end, and with two parallel ears, 6 6 The hook-lever F, of thetrip-member, comprises a jaw f, a shoulder f, a bearing arm f and anoperating arm f the said lever being pivoted by means of its arm fbetween the two ears e c of the plate E. The

The advantages resulting from a jaw f, of this lever, extends downwardthrough the slot 6 of the plate, its shoulder f, engaging with the,inner wall of the said slot, to limit the inward movement of thelever-hook. The operating-arm f of the lever, is constructed so thatwhen the leverhook is in its normal position, the said arm will cantforward as shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings, the UPPBITfiIld of the armhaving an operating chain, f attached to it. ljhe heavy chain G,attached to the outer end of the plate E, is adapted in size andconstruction to have its links engaged with. the grooved cross-pieces ofthe eyes of the trays,

as also shown by the said Fig. 3 of the drawings. A similar form oftrip-coupler is shown by Fig. 6 of the drawings, this consisting simplyof a chain H, corresponding generally to the chain G, but having one ofits end links, as H, bent longitudinally, to form a trip-member, theupturned end of this link having an operating chain H as shown.

Fig. 2 represents the charging and discharging of a double-ended furnaceby means of trays such as shown in Fig.1 of the drawings, andtrip-couplers such as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 thereof. A and Arepresent two trays within a furnace, the end walls of whichareindicated by the lines I and I. As represented, the tray A has justbeen moved from the rear to the forward end of the furnace, while thetray A has just been drawn into the rear end thereof, by being connectedto the rear end of the tray A by means of a coupler, which is now inabout the center of the furnace, but which is not allowed to remainthere, being quickly uncoupled and drawn out by means of the chain fattached to the upper end of its lever-hook, for it will be clear, byreference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, that if the chain j, which at thistime will lead from the hook to a point outside of the rear door of thefurnace, is pulled, the lever-hook will be drawn rearward, as shown bybroken lines in the said figure, whereby the two trays will bedisconnected, and the trip-coupler freed to be drawn out of the furnacebefore it has been heated to its injury. Then, after the contents of thetray A have been fully annealed', a poker corresponding to the poker D,or any other approved instrument, is hooked into the eye at the forwardend of the tray A, and the same drawn out of the furnace. The poker isthen introduced into the middle of the furnace, and hooked into the eyeat the forward end of the tray A which is then drawn forward to theplace in thefurnace which has just been vacated by the tray A; butbefore the tray A is so drawn forward, another tray, A is coupled ontoits rear end by means of the same trip-coupler, let us say, that wasbefore used to couple the tray A to the tray A. Then when the tray A isdrawn forward, the tray A will be drawn into the rear end of the furnaceto take its place, and after that has been done, the trip-coupler, whichhas thus been carried into the middle of the furnace, will be trippedand drawn out of the same, through the rear door thereof,

pieces of the eyes, atthe adjacent ends of the two trays to be coupled,the bent link of the chain being connected with the tray in the furnace,so that by pulling upon the opx crating train H it may be lifted up anddisconnected from its cross-piece, after which the entire chain may bedrawn back out of the furnace. This form of trip-coupler will be foundconvenient when the objects to be annealed are small, and might possiblybe disturbed and displaced by dragging the other form of trip-couplerbackward over them.

It will be obvious that after the trays have been coupled together, andwhile they are being moved or otherwise, if any accident should occur,or it should be desired, for any reason, to quickly disconnect them, thetripcoupler may be called into requisition. It is for this reason that Ido not limit the application of my improved eye with thevertically'grooved cross-piece, t0 the trays, for it may be appliedadvantageously to pokers designed to be operated by power. With suchpokers, I provide the chains (which are not shown) through which poweris applied to them, for pulling them, with trip-couplers correspondingto those shown herein, or constructed to act on the same principle. Thenif, for any reason, I desire to suddenly disconnect the power from thepokers, I can readily do so by pulling the chains of the tripcouplers. Iwould therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself to theexact construction herein shown and described, but hold myself atliberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within thespirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is y 1. A tray or other portableannealing-furnace instrumentality, having at one end an eye, constructedwith a vertically grooved cross-piece, in combination with a trip memberto engage with the grooved cross-piece of the said eye substantially asset forth.

2. A tray or other portable annealing-furnace instrumentality, having atone end an eye, constructed with a vertically grooved cross-piece; incombination with atrip-coupler having a movable trip-member, and meansattached thereto for operating the same, substantially as set forth.

3. A trip-coupler comprising a slotted plate, a chain, attached to oneend thereof, a leverhook pivoted to the said plate and having anupwardly extending operating-arm, a downwardly extending curved jaw, anda "bear- IEO ing-arm, and a chain or other tripping con- In testimonywhereof I have signed this nection, connected With the saidoperatingspecification in the presence of two subscr1barm, incombination with a portable annealing Witnesses.

ing-furnace ins'trumentality having an eye JAMES M. CHATFIELD. 5 adaptedto be engaged by the said lever-hook, Witnesses:

and constructed with a vertically grooved SAMUEL S. LAMB,

cross piece substantially as set forth. A. E. BLAKESLEE.

